Clean drinking water and sanitation

The Arab region, for the most part, is characterized by dry, harsh climatic conditions and associated scarce water resources. The average annual rainfall is less than 250 mm in 70 per cent of the region and less than 100 mm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The available water resources are estimated at 265 km3, with 225 km3 of this in the form of surface water and the remaining 40 km3 groundwater. Of these available resources, over 65 per cent originate outside the region—flowing into it via the Euphrates, Tigris and Nile rivers—a situation which gives rise to potential conflicts over shared water resources. Seven countries of the region rank among the ten most water-scarce in the world.